Wigan artist shortlisted for national honours

Laura Quinn Harris has been nominated for The British Art Prize – an annual competition organised by Artists & Illustrators Magazine and sponsored by Adobe.

This year’s event includes judges such as renowned portrait artist Jonathan Yeo and The One Show's Adebanji Alade.

Just 50 pieces were selected out of thousands of submissions made, and those shortlisted will be exhibited at gallery@oxo at Oxo Tower Wharf, London until January 21.

A portrait that Laura produced of her husband, Dylan, is featuring in the show and while official judging has already been completed, members of the public have also now cast their vote for their favourite piece to win People's Choice Award.

Laura said: “My shortlisted artwork, A Turn in the Dream, is an oil portrait, completed last year, of my husband Dylan Harris - founder of Lupine, organisers of memorable gigs and the Northern Lights club night in the 2000s and Lupine Travel, who arrange tours to some of the most unique places on earth.

"I'm over the moon to have my painting shortlisted for the prize. It's always encouraging to know that well respected judges feel your work is good enough to sit alongside other artists, whose work you admire.

"Being an artist can be tough, and it goes without saying that you will experience a fair amount of rejection, so moments like this really give you the motivation to keep doing what you're doing. It looks like it's going to be a wonderful show, and I'm looking forward to going to the Awards Ceremony next week and seeing all the work in the flesh.”

Laura specialises in oil portraits of people and animals and has seen her work displayed in numerous exhibitions across the UK and abroad. She was an invited artist on BBC1’s Extraordinary Portraits in 2022 and was a runner-up on Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year in 2014.

Her sitters have included Sir Ian McKellen, Richard Dawkins and Armando Iannucci. She was also commissioned by the Royal College of Music to paint Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, whose portrait now hangs in the Britten Theatre.

More information about Laura and to find a gallery of her work, visit her website.